NATIONAL coach Vincent Reyes on Thursday reiterated his wish to have the best talent available for what he said is the "colossal task" of representing the country in the Asian basketball championships in Manila in August.
Although elated by Fiba Asia's decision to move the tournament from strife-torn Lebanon to Manila, the Smart Gilas coach said he is "apprehensive more than ever" over the task of winning the championship before home fans.
"Much as we'd like to rejoice, I am filled with apprehension because more than ever it's a 'must-win' for us," said Reyes in an SMS message sent to Spin.ph from Dubai, where Smart Gilas is competing in an international tournament.
Smart Gilas ruled the Jones Cup in Taipei and finished fourth in the Fiba Asia Cup late last year with a team of PBA stars that still lacked a couple of players on Reyes' wish list.
The national team's problems turned worse ahead of the Dubai tournament when only a sprinkling of professional players showed up for the practices of Gilas, forcing Reyes to make do with a team made up mostly of collegiate standouts from the national cadet pool.
"While I never shy away from a challenge, I hope to have the best talent at my disposal in this colossal task," Reyes added.
For that to happen, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas may need to re-work its agreement with the PBA, which makes its players available for the national team on the condition that the league's tournaments are not affected.
As it is, the August 1-11 schedule of the Asian championships already poses a problem since it is just a few days from the end of the league's final conference, meaning the players of teams playing in the finals likely won't be available for Gilas.
(Credits goes to Sports Interactive Network Philippines)
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2013 PBA Commissioners Cup Finals Roundup: Game 1 - May 16, 2013
The Alaska Aces didnt waste any time at all.
They went on a 14-0 start and cruised on until the endgame to defeat the crowd-favorite Ginebra Gin Kings, 87-70, in Game One of the 2013 PBA Commissioners Cup Finals.
It was an unexpected start to a game and a series billed by many PBA observers to bring back memories of the classic 90s rivalry between the two storied franchises [read more]
The Alaska Aces didnt waste any time at all.
They went on a 14-0 start and cruised on until the endgame to defeat the crowd-favorite Ginebra Gin Kings, 87-70, in Game One of the 2013 PBA Commissioners Cup Finals.
It was an unexpected start to a game and a series billed by many PBA observers to bring back memories of the classic 90s rivalry between the two storied franchises.
There wasnt anything storied about the way Ginebra started, however, as the Aces just shot the lights out in the first quarter, outscoring the Kings, 28-6. Eight different players scored for Alaska in that period, while only Vernon Macklin, Mac Baracael, and Chris Ellis scored for Ginebra, with Macklin the only one making field goals.
Alaska continued to dominate the Kings all the way till the middle of the fourth quarter, when Ginebras starters actually mounted a last ditch 17-6 rally to trim the deficit to just 11, 79-68, with less than three minutes left. Alaska, however, came through to score 8 of the games last 9 points and peg the final score.
Alaska is now just two wins away from its maiden title in the post-Tim Cone era, while the Gin Kings need to recover after this unqualified blowout.
Game Recaps: ALASKA over GINEBRA, 87-70 The Alaska Aces unleashed a knockout punch in the first quarter and cruised the rest of the way to take Game One of the Commissioners Cup finals, 87-70, over Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Wednesday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Alaska finished the opening period with a 28-6 advantage, making life miserable for the usually high-scoring Ginebra offense.
We need to play to our identity. I think we set the tone, said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo. Thats our identity: defense.
Import Robert Dozier anchored the stingy defense, grabbing 22 rebounds for Alaska, which drew balanced scoring with seven players posting at least nine points, led by RJ Jazul with 16.
The Aces limited the touches of explosive Ginebra import Vernon Macklin, who had 16 points on just nine attempts from the field.
I thought we did a fairly good job on Vernon. I thought we were able to control him. You cant stop him, but I thought we did a good job controlling him, said Trillo.
Alaska also hounded Ginebra court general LA Tenorio to 4-of-16 shooting, leaving Gin Kings coach Alfrancis Chua looking for answers in the first half. The ponytailed coach dug deep into his bench, fielding in recovering guard Mark Caguioa as well as little-used players Elmer Espiritu, Rico Maierhofer, and Rob Labagala to look for a spark.
Tenorio tried to rally Ginebra in the fourth quarter, helping the Gin Kings cut the deficit to just 11 points, 79-68, with a three-point play with less than three minutes left.
But steady shooting from Sonny Thoss helped Alaska pull out the victory in the best-of-five series.
Its a short series, five games, said Trillo. They have tired warriors right now. It puts a lot of pressure on them.
Trillo, however, cautioned about getting too confident with the lopsided win.
We know better. We need to take care of this, he said. Its not gonna happen again. Theyre gonna elevate, energize their team.
The 2013 PBA Commish Cup will not have a repeat titlist this year. This much was confirmed after the Alaska Aces booted out their former mentor and his current team in Game 4 last Saturday, while the Bgy. Ginebra Gin Kings completed a stirring comeback from a 1-2 series hole to upend the Talk N Text Tropang Texters last night. So its going to be an Alaska-Ginebra showdown for the championship!!! First to four games wins! Gatas o Gin? Kampihan na!
Last Friday, Bgy [read more]
The 2013 PBA Commish Cup will not have a repeat titlist this year. This much was confirmed after the Alaska Aces booted out their former mentor and his current team in Game 4 last Saturday, while the Bgy. Ginebra Gin Kings completed a stirring comeback from a 1-2 series hole to upend the Talk N Text Tropang Texters last night. So its going to be an Alaska-Ginebra showdown for the championship!!! First to four games wins! Gatas o Gin? Kampihan na!
Last Friday, Bgy. Ginebra forced a rubber match after beating Talk N Text, 104-101. After struggling in Game 3, Vernon Macklin redeemed himself well here, dropping 37 points on the overmatched and overworked TNT frontline. V-Mack also collared 12 rebounds and dished out 4 assists as the Gin Kings forced a winner-take-all Game Five.
Hardly any locals showed up for the Texters, as Tony Mitchell was basically a one-man scoring machine. Mitchell, as brilliant as he is scoring 45 points, could not carry TNT straight into the Finals, and coach Norman Black is now left pondering about the critical missed opportunities in this outing. In contrast, Ginebra enjoyed a ton of support from its locals. Jayjay Helterbrand, LA Tenorio, Chris Ellis, and Kerby Raymundo all scored 12 or more points to backstop Macklin's virtuoso performance.
A day after, Alaska defeated San Mig Coffee, 83-78, to enter a PBA Finals series for the first time since Tim Cone bolted for SMC. So many improbable things happened in this game -- from Rob Dozier scoring just 6 points, the Aces roaring back from a double-digit deficit, and Calvin Abueva scoring all but two of his points in the fourth period. Such a well-earned series win by the Aces.
James Yap and Marc Pingris, easily the two most popular SMC Mixers, were both non-existent here. Yap missed the game entirely, while Ping was limited to a paltry 5-point output. The result? Bye bye title defense.
Hows this for irony? Tim Cone left Alaska when the Aces were struggling. He signed up with SMC and led them to last season's Commish Cup title. He swept the Aces in the elims of the current Commish Cup. And then he gets beaten in four games by his former apprentice with a number of the same players he left behind. In the process, Cone's new team was dethroned by his old team. Fate, you're pretty funny.
Last night, Ginebra completed its big series turnaround by trouncing Talk N Text, 111-103. The Gin Kings utilized a blistering first half to immediately put considerable distance between themselves and TNT. Coach Alfrancis Chuas wards were all over the hardwood, making plays on both ends of the floor on their way to a 61-41 spread. It turned out that was enough of a cushion to pave the way for a Finals clash with the Aces.
In his three games, TNT import Tony Mitchell has proven he can score in bunches. He, however, can also miss in bunches, and he is also allergic to passing the ball. Not the best combo in the world if you ask me. Not too keen on his coming back to reinforce the Texters next conference.
Vernon Macklin was awesome with his 22-20 line, despite shooting just 6-of-14 from the field. Mac Baracael, too, was extremely impressive with 21 points, 6 rebounds, and 4 triples. Talk about stepping up big time. But the man of the match was definitely LA Tenorio. The Lieutenant scattered 28 markers despite missing all 7 of his trey attempts. He shot 62% from the 2-point area and made 12-of-14 FTs. Also grabbed 6 boards and had 5 dimes. LA vs Casio in the Finals should be a classic.
Game Recaps: GINEBRA over TALK N TEXT, 104-101 Vernon Macklin carried Barangay Ginebra San Miguel on his broad shoulders as the Gin Kings stayed alive against Talk N Text, 104-101, in Game Four of the Commissioners Cup semifinals Friday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
Macklin scored 37 points, including a basket with 54.4 seconds left that broke the games final deadlock, to force a rubber match for a ticket to the championship round.
The import got plenty of support from Ginebra locals, as five other players scored in double figures Jayjay Helterbrand (17 points), LA Tenorio (16), Chris Ellis (13), and Kerby Raymundo (12).
This win is for my players, said Ginebra coach Alfrancis Chua. Wala na akong masabi sa kanila.
Ginebra built a double-digit lead in the first half, before Talk N Text rallied in the third quarter after Macklin was called for a flagrant foul for shoving Ranidel De Ocampo.
Talk N Text leaned on import Tony Mitchell, who scored 45 points. But the dynamic reinforcement lost steam down the stretch, missing several shots that could have tied the game for the Tropang Texters.
Hes a very good import. We cant stop him, but we can contain him, said Chua, whose Gin Kings forced Mitchell into missing all eight of his three-point attempts apart from eight turnovers.
Mitchell got limited support from the rest of the Tropang Texters, with only Ranidel De Ocampo scoring in double figures for Talk N Text.
The final game of the series is set on Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum at 6:15 p.m.
ALASKA over SAN MIG COFFEE, 83-78 A new champion will emerge at the end of the Commissioners Cup.
The Alaska Aces made sure of that on Saturday night, defeating defending champion San Mig Coffee, 83-78, to win their semifinals series at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum in four games.
With the victory, the Aces booked their first championship round appearance since the departure of former coach Tim Cone, who left the team two years ago to coach the Purefoods franchise.
Import Robert Dozier struggled with just six points, but five of those came in the dying minutes to give the Aces the final push to close the match.
Im proud of Robert, hes playing with a sprained ankle, said Alaska coach Luigi Trillo, who is making his first finals appearance in just his third tournament as a PBA coach.
Dozier was one of many heroes for Alaska, which also includes Calvin Abueva. The brash rookie forward struggled in the first half, but scored 12 of his 14 points in the fourth quarter to help the Aces come back from a 14-point halftime deficit.
When Calvin gets going, he really gets going, said Trillo.
San Mig Coffee came out firing, unleashing a 19-0 run in the second quarter to lead 48-34 at the half. But the Mixers, who were playing without top gun James Yap, did not seem to have enough firepower in the second half to keep up with Alaska.
James, he couldve helped them, said Trillo. They lacked one more weapon inside.
Alaska will play the winner of Sundays Game Five between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel in a best-of-five finals series set to tip off on Wednesday.
I think both teams are tired also, said Trillo, who refused to disclose a preference for either opponent. Hard to say. Im not gonna wish for anything.
GINEBRA over TALK N TEXT, 111-103 Barangay Ginebra San Miguel unleashed a blistering attack early before showing poise in the face of a furious Talk N Text rally to win Game Five of their Commissioners Cup semifinals series, 111-103, Sunday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.
With the win, Ginebra booked its first finals appearance since the 2011 edition of the tournament.
I didnt expect that well be in the championship, said Ginebra coach Alfrancis Chua, who rebounded from an 0-4 start to the tournament to make a Cinderella run to the finals as a seventh seed. They will face top-ranked Alaska in the championship round.
Its a God-given gift, daming injuries, pero nakarating kami dito.
Buoyed by a boisterous crowd of 21,408 cheering lustily for them from the opening tip, the Gin Kings built a 20-point halftime lead, 61-41, against the shorthanded Tropang Texters.
But Talk N Text, which was playing without star forward Ranidel De Ocampo in addition to injured stalwarts Kelly Williams and Jared Dillinger, did not give up. The Tropang Texters cut the lead to just 11 points at the end of the third period, and came within striking distance in the final quarter.
Tinitingnan ko, kinakabahan ako, said Chua. Pero yung mga players, wala lang.
LA Tenorio led Ginebra with 28 points, including 12 in the fourth quarter to keep Talk N Text at bay.
The kid showed something that, pwede talaga siyang mag-[Best Player of the Conference, said Chua.
Import Vernon Macklin, whose arrival in the tournament turned Ginebras fortunes around, added 22 points and 20 rebounds, while Mac Baracael had 21 points.
Against Alaska in the finals, Chua knows the going will get even tougher.
Alaska is very complete, from wing to point to big man, said Chua, who added that he wont be thinking of the championship round just yet.
Barangay Ginebra reach Alaska Aces in the Final - May 13, 2013
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Talk N Text - Barangay Ginebra 103-111 (2-3)
Barangay Ginebra reach Alaska Aces in the Final as they won over Talk N Text in the decisive fifth game. 38 personal fouls committed by Talk N Text helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American power forward Vernon Macklin (208-86, college: Florida) who had a double-double by scoring 22 points and 20 rebounds. point guard LA Tenorio (177-84) chipped in 28 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists [read more]
Barangay Ginebra reach Alaska Aces in the Final as they won over Talk N Text in the decisive fifth game. 38 personal fouls committed by Talk N Text helped opponents get some easy free throw opportunities. The best player for the winners was American power forward Vernon Macklin (208-86, college: Florida) who had a double-double by scoring 22 points and 20 rebounds. point guard LA Tenorio (177-84) chipped in 28 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists. American forward Tony Mitchell (198-89, college: Alabama) produced a double-double by scoring 42 points (!!!) and 11 rebounds and point guard Jayson Castro (173-86) added 15 points, 6 rebounds and 5 assists respectively for the hosts. Five Barangay Ginebra and four Talk N Text players scored in double figures. Both coaches used bench players which allowed the starters a little rest for the next games. Top scorers: Talk N Text: T.Mitchell 42+11reb+1ast, J.Castro 15+6reb+5ast, A.Peek 11+5reb, R.Reyes 10+7reb+3ast, J.Ferriols 9+10reb+2ast, A.Aban 8+2reb Barangay Ginebra: L.Tenorio 28+6reb+5ast, V.Macklin 22+20reb+2ast, M.Baracael 21+6reb+1ast, J.Helterbrand 15+5reb+5ast, K.Raymundo 13+7reb, R.Hatfield 6+5reb+1ast
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